johnnie mazzer. before the storm. review by alan haber. buhdge

hot buhdge too good to pass up in a world gone mad

They're hot, alright: the latest releases by music's best. Too good to pass up in a world gone mad, they're must-gets in a world full of must-avoids. They're the cream of the crop, and we review them here.

Before the Storm Johnnie Mazzer Melanie (2004) Looking like Arthur Fonzarelli's second cousin or a refugee from Grease or Grease 2, Johnnie Mazzer is the "it" guy of the moment, if the moment has anything to do with keeping the spirit of Britney Spears alive. Mazzer's extremely catchy and clever homage to the diva who would be tabloid fodder, "Rock Me Britney," which kicks off what amounts to a sampler of tunes that will be included on the artist's upcoming album Snow Days, is as "it" as Mazzer is "it," and that, as they say, is it. "Rock Me Britney" is one hell of a song. Is there anything as catchy on the radio today? I'd speculate that there couldn't possibly be: Mazzer has fashioned a very cool ditty as infectious as any hit-worthy record you'd care to name. Tongue firmly in cheek (I'm guessing), Mazzer spends three minutes and forty-three seconds pledging his devotion for the former New Mickey Mouse Clubber in the simplest of terms, against a wonderfully bright, hooky chorus to die for. It's classic, radio-friendly pop of the highest order. The rest of the songs are close cousins of "Rock Me Britney," from the moody "Black-n-Blue" and the pretty ballad "When I Hear You Sing" (in both a "bare bones" acoustic, orchestrated version and an "extended Mazzerific" dance mix, perfect for tearing up the dance floor) to the catchy, upbeat love song, "I'll Always Be There." Sure, the beats are programmed, along with most of the instruments (ace multi-instrumentalist Robbie Rist contributes live rocking guitar on "Rock Me Britney" and "Easier"), but who cares when the songs are as good as these? Mazzer's an honest singer, delivering his tunes with care and deep emotion, and more than that you cannot ask. So dial up your local hot hits radio station and request that "Rock Me Britney" explode onto its airwaves. "It" couldn't possibly be easier than that. Alan Haber March 27, 2005
alan haber's pure pop buhdgeblog hot buhdge \| pop buhdge \| buhdge remembers television buhdge \| film buhdge \| books buhdge video buhdge \| buhdge fine print \| links about buhdge \| write for buhdge \| contact home (c) 2004 Alan Haber

Before the Storm
Johnnie Mazzer
Melanie (2004)

johnnie mazzer's before the storm Looking like Arthur Fonzarelli's second cousin or a refugee from Grease or Grease 2, Johnnie Mazzer is the "it" guy of the moment, if the moment has anything to do with keeping the spirit of Britney Spears alive. Mazzer's extremely catchy and clever homage to the diva who would be tabloid fodder, "Rock Me Britney," which kicks off what amounts to a sampler of tunes that will be included on the artist's upcoming album Snow Days, is as "it" as Mazzer is "it," and that, as they say, is it.

"Rock Me Britney" is one hell of a song. Is there anything as catchy on the radio today? I'd speculate that there couldn't possibly be: Mazzer has fashioned a very cool ditty as infectious as any hit-worthy record you'd care to name. Tongue firmly in cheek (I'm guessing), Mazzer spends three minutes and forty-three seconds pledging his devotion for the former New Mickey Mouse Clubber in the simplest of terms, against a wonderfully bright, hooky chorus to die for. It's classic, radio-friendly pop of the highest order.

The rest of the songs are close cousins of "Rock Me Britney," from the moody "Black-n-Blue" and the pretty ballad "When I Hear You Sing" (in both a "bare bones" acoustic, orchestrated version and an "extended Mazzerific" dance mix, perfect for tearing up the dance floor) to the catchy, upbeat love song, "I'll Always Be There."

Sure, the beats are programmed, along with most of the instruments (ace multi-instrumentalist Robbie Rist contributes live rocking guitar on "Rock Me Britney" and "Easier"), but who cares when the songs are as good as these? Mazzer's an honest singer, delivering his tunes with care and deep emotion, and more than that you cannot ask.

So dial up your local hot hits radio station and request that "Rock Me Britney" explode onto its airwaves. "It" couldn't possibly be easier than that.

Alan Haber
March 27, 2005